Common Risks of Cocaine Use

The prison of addiction is only one of the serious risks encountered by users of cocaine. From any number of major dangers to physical and mental health and even death, it’s hard to find anything positive about cocaine use.

Cocaine Brings You Down and Comes at a High Cost

Studies have shown that cocaine use can cause lowered levels of dopamine and VMAT2 (the vesicular monoamine transporter 2). Dopamine is a hormone that causes feelings of positivity, while examination of VMAT2 has revealed that lowered levels are usually linked to depression.

Cocaine in its purest form can be very expensive, which is why it is commonly cut with various additives and fillers for those who are looking to profit from the trade. Given the extremely addictive qualities of cocaine, users who cannot readily give up the habit will go to great lengths to get their “fix”—often going far into debt to maintain their destructive habit.

Cocaine Use Can Result in Death

The ultimate risk of cocaine use is death, which is usually the result of overdose, followed by cardiovascular or cerebrovascular attacks, such as strokes. Sudden death via cocaine may be the result of mixing the drug with other substances or even with alcohol, which can be one of the dangers of ingesting the drug in seemingly innocent social settings, such as parties.

Cocaine Use Spells Danger for Pregnant Women

The dangers of cocaine are not only a threat to a mother who uses the substance but also to the well-being of her unborn baby. There are also far more concrete risks of miscarriage associated with the habitual use of cocaine.

The use of cocaine later on in pregnancy can cause the mother to go into premature labor, resulting in the baby’s death, or in the baby having a stroke or being born with low birth weight or even permanent brain damage.

Additional Problems Associated with Cocaine Use

Numerous problems that can result from the use of cocaine include:

Snorting is the most common way that cocaine is introduced into the system, which can cause eventual erosion of nasal tissues.

Cocaine can also cause damage to the lungs and respiratory complications in general.

The risks of hepatitis and HIV are increased if injection needles are shared.

Paranoia, anxiety and panic attacks are much more common among cocaine addicts.

Because of mistrust and suspicion that can take hold of users of cocaine, aggression is a serious potential side effect.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Cocaine Rehab and a clickable link back to this page.

Help for the Cocaine Addict

While cocaine is a very strong stimulant drug and one of the hardest to come off of; it can be done and sobriety is achieved daily by thousands of cocaine addicts all over the world.

Going to rehab is a must, this is not a drug one can just stop taking and stay clean.

It can be heartbreaking to try and try and fail and fail. That is why finding a program that addresses the issues of cocaine addiction and keeps the addict long enough to get him stably on his feet, is so important.

We know programs that can do this - so call us now.

The ultimate options for Cocaine Addicts come down to:

1. Incarceration

2. Death

3. Sobriety

There is no nice way to say it. Take a stand for life and do something now.